Northwest Florida first responders recognized for their efforts in combatting forest wildfire

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. ( WKRG ) — The first responders who helped extinguish the Sommerville Court forest wildfire that destroyed one home and damaged 15 others in April were recognized for their efforts.

Escambia County Fire Rescue, NAS Pensacola, the City of Pensacola, the Florida Forest Service, the Summerdale Fire Department, and the Perdido Beach Volunteer Fire Department responded to the April 4 fire, according to a release. According to previous reporting , the firefighters worked to save about 200 homes as the fire spread and threatened several neighborhoods.

Aside from firefighters, the release notes that other organizations including Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Animal Control, Escambia County Area Transit, Liberty Church on Blue Angel Parkway, and the American Red Cross helped in various aspects.

• “Escambia County Sheriff’s Department provided traffic control and assisted with the evacuation order due to the closure of several nearby roads.”

• “Escambia County Animal Control responded to assist homeowners and firefighters with the removal of pets from the evacuation area.”

• “Escambia County Area Transit responded with two buses to transport evacuees to Liberty Church on Blue Angel Parkway which opened as a temporary shelter.”

• “The American Red Cross was deployed to Liberty Church with six volunteers to help console the evacuees and assisted one family that was displaced by the fire.”

The first responders involved were recognized by the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, May 2.

“The Somerville Court wildfire was a shining example of our dedicated first responders from various departments coming together for one mission: to protect the citizens of Escambia County,” District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler said. “As the fire grew rapidly, our first responders worked tirelessly to evacuate the affected neighborhoods while extinguishing the fire.

He added, “I commend our firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and our volunteers for their efforts during that day, and I’m so thankful no one was harmed.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.